Assassin's Creed:Fragmented Memories
by Blor028
Summary: This is my own little imagination running wild with the Assassin series. It a prequel of Desmond before he got kidnapped by the Templar. What his life was life outside f the compound and some of the things that happened during that in between time.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's creed or anything. This is a fanfiction

Assassin's Creed:Fragmented Memories

Part 1

May 5, 2010

Desmond found her or she found him. It happened one night after he closed up work, it was close to one o' clock and the night had been rough. Three fights broke out on the dance floor; one of them was between him and an ass hole who didn't like the way his girlfriend was looking at him. Desmond sported a shiner but the other guy looked worst. A kid sped passed him not bothering to apologize for bumping into him so rudely. He had seen the kid a lot recently; there was something about the way the kid's hood cover his face that made Desmond nervous. Same spot near the subway next to the church on his way home. He wondered if the kid had anywhere to go, a family, a home… the streets weren't kind to runaways.

The kid disappeared behind the church like he always did since Desmond took notice of him. A part of him wanted to help him yet something told him that it wasn't his problem. He couldn't go picking up every stray that he came across in New York beside that would be creepy, a grown man picking up runaway kids. Once Desmond reached home that night, he realized that something was missing. He searched his pockets and his hoodie but could not find his wallet. Desmond retraced his steps from cleaning up the bar, putting the glasses away and clocking out. He recalled putting some extra cash into his wallet, putting it in his back pocket and locking the doors. Desmond took out a cold beer, he sat down on a stole, crossing and re-crossing his steps. It finally down on him once he finished his beer.

" That mother fucker!" Desmond slammed his beer down on the counter, cursing to himself. "That punk stole my wallet me." It surprised him that he didn't notice the kid had dupe him. For a second he even admired the kid, he had serious skills to pull a fast one over him. If there was one thing Desmond knew, he knew how to swipe wallets from unsuspecting people.

…..

* * *

The kid bought a soda with the stolen money, in the beginning it used to be hard to take money from unsuspecting people. But after a while, the stealing became necessary to survive the cold streets. Not only that but stealing was nothing compared to the actions that the kid had committed in the past.

"Whatcha got there kid?" Three men surrounded the kid, circling around like wolves around a prey. The kid did not respond to them nor acknowledge their presence. The men were enrage when the kid continue to ignored them by walking away.

One of the men grabbed the kid's wrist; this would prove to be a big mistake for him. He received a punch to the throat, sending him reeling backward. Hidden in the kid's left shoe was a blade but fortunately the blade stayed hidden. A man's voice interrupted the fight.

"Hey…that kid is with me." Desmond was on his way to the church when he stumbled into the scene but after the kid attack on one of the men.

"Beat it pretty boy, the little brat needs to learn a lesson not to mess with adults." One of the men sneered at the Desmond.

The fight did not last long; there were a few punches and kicks. In the end, there were only two men left with both their faces quit bloody; one was Desmond and the other, one of the thugs. The other two were recovering on the ground. The kid struggle not help, to help would risk being exposed to a stranger. There was something about the way the stranger moved, clumsy yet precise. His punches hit the marks at least even if he wasn't remarkable good at it. Finally the guy scrambled away with his friends limping after him.

"Hey…are you okay?" The kid threw her hood down, she ran over to him with a worried expression on her face.

"You are a girl?" Desmond spoke in shock, trying to get a better view of her through the blood.

"Woman." She corrected him as she came to stand beside him. She put her hand on his arm. "Can I help you in anyway?"

Desmond blinked away the blood; she was a slight little thing. Probably why he thought she was a kid to begin with.

"You're bleeding…we have to get you some medical attention." She said to him clutching his arm.

"No…I'm okay kid. My apartment is not far from here. Nothing a band aid can't fix." Desmond replied to her, wiping the blood away with his palm. "It's late, you should go home kid."

Desmond pulled away from her grip and started to walk in the direction of his apartment; it suddenly occurred to him that the kid didn't have a home, a young girl alone by herself at night. Sighing, Desmond spun around. How did he invite her to his place for the night without sounding like a pervert or a creeper?

Desmond glance back at her and saw that there were some of his blood on her sleeve. "You got a little blood on your clothes." The girl stared at her sleeve, she saw a couple of drops on them. "If you want…you can clean up in my bathroom."

….

* * *

Desmond watch the blood swirl into the sinkhole, he wiped his face on a clean towel. He wondered what he had gotten himself into; he almost never invited anyone over unless he picked them up at the bar. The girl walked out of the bathroom, she gazed at him in a shy and curious manner. Something about her was familiar, something about her presence…as if he met her before. He felt like he met her a long time ago and forgot.

"I…I…I didn't realize this but I stole your wallet…" The girl held up his wallet to him.

"I know I was actually out looking for you." Desmond put the towel down. "You have pretty good skills. I barely felt anything." He took the wallet from her hand.

The girl looked down at her feet, shuffling them. "I suppose I owe you an apology…"

For some reason, Desmond wasn't mad at her. He saw something in her…something that reminded him of how he used to be.

"Are you a runaway?" He asked her bluntly, she didn't respond to him.

"I am not a kid…" she began before pausing to choose her words carefully. " I'm twenty, hardly a kid anymore. I can go where ever I please." Desmond believed her when she told him that she was twenty yet she seemed younger. Her eyes gave a sad appearance sad about them and held much age. Her manners though were very innocent and naïve. If he had to guess, he would say that she ran away from a crazy family or something.

Desmond stared at her; she no longer wore her black hoodie. The girl had on two tank tops; white layered over red and wore dark jeans with knee high black combat boots. Her face was youthful face however there were dark bags under her eyes as if she didn't sleep often. A pretty face none the less.

"I'm tired." Desmond said suddenly, which wasn't a lie. He wanted to take some aspirin as well as go to sleep. He would deal with the girl when he wakes up tomorrow, if she was still around. "I have couch, it not the most comfortable thing but it will do. You can stay for tonight." Desmond got up toward his bedroom without another word.

"Wait, you mean you are not mad at me?" the girl said to him with shock, she didn't know how to react.

"Honestly I had a long night; I will deal with you later if you are still here tomorrow." Desmond disappeared into his room, only to reappear later with a blanket and a pillow. He tossed her the stuff.

"Thank you…" The girl said to him, holding the pillow and blanket. Normally she didn't trust anyone so easily. To be honest, she trusted anyone since leaving her family but one other person.

Before Desmond went back into his room, the girl told him her name. "I am Juliet by the way, Juliet Chang."

"Desmond Miles." He responded before closing the door.

The next morning Desmond woke up and stumble to the bathroom. After he showered and brushed his teeth, he went into his kitchen and saw the girl still sleeping on his couch. At first he was confuse by the sight of the sleeping form then he recall the night before. Going over to her, he meant to rouse her from her sleep yet he stopped short of seeing her. She slept on the edge of the couch with her leg and arm hanging out. Somehow it made him smile a little, she reminded him of some of the kids at the compound after a hard day of training. Desmond reached for her covers when her hand darted out.

Juliet heard the sound of footsteps approaching her; she grasped the hand that came toward her roughly. Her speed surprise Desmond for a second.

"Calm down." Desmond said to her calmly. The girl stared at him in confusion for a second. She let him go; her sleepy eyes searched the room hesitantly. "Do you remember how you got here last night?"

"Yeah…" the girl mumbled to him, her eyes catching the time on his clock. " I'm sorry, I meant to leave early." She got up quickly, grabbing for her hoodie nearby. Throwing it on, she headed for the door. "I am sorry for bothering you."

"Are you hungry?" Desmond found himself asking her, something he hadn't planned to do.

"Am I what?" The girl seemed puzzle by his question. She zipped up her hoodie. Desmond made some eating motion to her.

"No." the girl said to him just as her stomach growled loudly. Her hand flew to her stomach sheepishly. "Maybe…kind of."

"Come on." Desmond said to her as he grabbed his jacket. "I haven't gone grocery shopping but there is a diner down the street. They have some good pancakes."

She didn't say anything to him the walk there, he found it curious that she looked down the whole time and had her pulled over most of her face. Maybe she was a criminal? Or a battered wife? The possibilities were endless, Desmond mused to himself. Whatever it was, it couldn't be any messed up than what he was.

Desmond order a coffee with the Sunday special, the waitress eyed him with a bright smile. She called him by his name, which led Juliet to summarize that he frequent the place a lot. Juliet had been analyzing Desmond since he invited her back to the apartment. In her training, being observant of others, paying attention to details and quick reflexes were often the difference between life and death. Juliet's instinct told her that Desmond was more then he pretended to be. There was absolutely nothing average about him. Last night she took note of the fact that he didn't have any pictures of his family or friends. The setup of his apartment was neither clean nor was it dirty. The walls were rather plain, the furniture second hand, and the couch felt as uncomfortable as the cots that she used to sleep on. His things were functional and of some value but easily replaceable or left behind.

"How about you girlie?" The waitress turn to talk to Juliet, her smile every bit as bright but her eyes showed disinterest.

"Eh…oh…" Juliet picked up her menu. "I'm sorry…umm…I would like the…" She searched down the list but found nothing familiar. To be honest, this was her first time in an American restaurant.

Desmond thought she spoke English very well but she had a distinct little accent that wasn't quit American or from around the area. He couldn't guess what nationality or place she came from by the way she talked.

"Are you Canadian sweetheart?" The woman said to Juliet with more interest.

"Canadian?" Juliet blinked in confusion at first, Desmond saw her quickly recover afterward. "Yes, I am from Canada." She lied to the waitress, hoping that the waitress' knowledge of Canadians was only limited to their speech.

"My ex-boyfriend was from Canada." She continued cheerfully. "What part are you from?"

"Vancouver." Juliet replied as natural as she could. "Where is he from?"

"Toronto." The waitress smiled as she held up her note pad.

"I have never been there, it a long way from Vancouver." Juliet prayed that they were far part from one another. The two chatted for a bit, Juliet ended up ordering the same thing that Desmond ordered.

Juliet ate like a bird at first, which wasn't uncommon for Desmond to see, most women he took out ate like birds,eventually she stopped caring. Days had passed since she last had a proper meal.

"Hungry?" Desmond asked her, drinking his coffee.

"Famished." She told him with a piece of bacon hanging out of the side of her mouth. Desmond asked for more coffee, he gaze at the girl, seeing himself in her as a sixteen year old kid fresh out of the compound.

"Here sweetheart, this is on the house." The waitress came back to their table; she gave Juliet an ice-cream sundae. She winked at Desmond.

"Oh." Juliet's face lit up, she only seen sundae served on T.V or when others were eating them through a window. "I never had one of these."

"You never had a sundae." The waitress raised her brow in puzzlement. "They don't have sundae up in Canada?"

"Ummm…they do but…I just never had one." Juliet lied lamely to her.

"You have been missing out then." The waitress laughed, refilling her cup of soda.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Juliet asked Desmond bluntly after they finished their breakfast.

"To be honest I have no idea, I don't even know who you are or where you came from." Desmond answered her honestly. "Or what or who you are running from."

"Who said I was running from anyone." She spoke to him in a quiet voice.

"You have your hood still on even though we are inside." Desmond chuckled, tugging on her hood.

Juliet pulled it up in embarrassment. "Sorry, it's a habit." She began to eat the sundae with relish. "Why would it matter to you?"

"It not safe for a girl like you to wonder the streets." Desmond said to Juliet, ignoring the question. "Isn't there any place you can go? A shelter? Don't you have a family?"

"I am not afraid; I have managed to survive this long. I don't like shelters; it's not as safe as you think." Juliet put her spoon down abruptly. She gave him a smile for the first time, he didn't think she meant for the smile to be sad but it turned out that way. "Thank you for your kindness, I am truly grateful for it."

Desmond stopped her from leaving, he felt a kindred spirit in her, a connection to this person he barely knew. He wanted to help her because they were the same, their eyes were the same. Not only hat but there was something else that drew him to her from the moment he first saw her. "Wait…" Juliet paused to hear him out. "You can stay with me."

"Only for a couple of days." Desmond added quickly to her. "The weather in new York isn't like the ones in Canada. It is said to be pouring for the next couple of days." He didn't really know what Canada's weather was like.

Juliet gaze at him, there were uncertainty in her eyes. "I will think about it." She began to walk toward the doors.

"Wait!" Desmond called out to her again. He needed to ask her one last thing. "We've meet before right? I see you before? Somewhere else?" He knew it couldn't be possible yet he had to ask.

"No, I never saw you before until last night." Juliet responded back to him even though her voice carried doubt in it. "Goodbye…for now."

Juliet walked down a couple of blocks, pondering silently to herself. Maybe she should take up the offer; the rats in the church really bother her at night. Not only that but the old church reeked of something she could not identify. She fished out from underneath her clothes, a green pedant. Pressing it to her face, Juliet considered her options. The coolness of the stone always comforted her like a safety blanket. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to stay a few days in New York City…just a few days.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

_"You have all the skills to be a great Assassin; you just have to have confidence in yourself." Shin to Sasa-_

There were some similarities between New York and Hong Kong. Both were big cities, bustling with life and both consisted of buildings and skyscrapers. It was early morning, Juliet stood on the rooftop of a building. Her eyes survey the environment below, the fountains, parked cars, steps, trash cans, walls and countless other obstacles. After a moment, she went over to the corner of the building. Putting her hands on the ledge, Juliet pushed her feet upward and did a handstand. Closing her eyes, she visualized her surroundings, listened to the streets below her to get a feel of the area.

Juliet worked as a bike messenger yet most of the time she preferred to parkour through the city rather than ride a bike. Parkour involved 'seeing' one's environment in a new way, and visualizing the possibilities for movement around it. She loved to parkour; it was one of the skills that she appreciated the Order teaching her. When she lived in the compound, they were very strict on her curfew and what she could do. Fortunately parkour was a part of their training, so the kids were allowed to practice in city, under strict supervision though. Juliet enjoyed her morning and her nights the most when she could soar through the rooftops. Hong Kong had been her playground; the freedom of running always excited her. Many people used art, music or write as a form of expression, her was to find new way to navigate through natural and unnatural environments as fast as she could with her body.

Juliet did a few push-ups, stretching her legs in scissor motions, she flipped on her feet. She sprinted forward at full speed, propelling her body onto to the next rooftop. No words could describe the feeling of flying through the air at top speed. The rush, the blood to the head, the way the wind carried runner's feet across the gapes. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Juliet rolled over on her shoulders. Getting on her feet, she continued to go without stopping to breathe. Running over the edge, she vaulted onto one of the fire escape, grabbing the railing; she sung her feet into it. Kicking the ladder down, Juliet slipped down the ladder without using the bars but holding onto the side. Dropping onto her feet lightly, Juliet scaled over fences, jumped trash cans and cartwheel over a fountains and swinging from rails. She never been high in her life or took any drugs yet she was certain that the high from parkour was better than any pills.

"Here is your parcel sir." Juliet smiled brightly to the elderly man as she handed him his parcel.

"Thank you sweet heart, I have been waiting for this." The old man returned her smile, he gave her a lollipop. "You have a good day."

"Awesome." Juliet accepted the gift; she walked down the hall with a tiny skip. She wondered if she should stop by to see Desmond at work but decided against it. She saw him enough as it is already.

A few days turned into a couple of weeks, weeks turned into months and now almost a year had passed by. They started out as roommates, friend and then in the last couple of months they were in a relationship with one another. It seemed only right that they were officially together since they were already arguing like a couple three months into her stay anyway. Work ended like any other day, Juliet changed out of her running clothes, chatted with a few workers and clocked out.

One luxury that Juliet enjoyed about living in the outside world was the clothes, choices and shoes. She felt like an individual not just another soldier following order. She also liked to experiment with her hair, at the moment; she had soft brown high lights. These things may seem small and even unimportant but she was given a choice to wear her hair or dress the way she desired. It was her free will to choose what she wanted and no one could tell her otherwise. Juliet threw on a pair of blue shorts and a pastel colored blouse, she top it off with a grey cardigan. For her shoes, she put on a pair of black converse. She undid her hair, releasing an array of curls on her shoulders.

Juliet walked down the streets, stopping for an ice-cream cone, window shopping. She looked like any other young girl, pretty and youthful. She dropped her ice-cream when she saw a face in the crowd that scared her. Doing a double take, Juliet tried to find the face again to confirm her fears, searching the crowd she found no one. The chills ran down her spine…maybe she didn't really see him at all. Maybe she was going crazy…that was a reasonable possibility, it sounded better than the person she thought she saw.

Closing her eyes, she attempted to chase the face away in vain. Juliet wondered the streets for a while, aimlessly and lost in thoughts. If she didn't see what she thought she saw…why couldn't she get rid of the fear in her heart? She sat down on a random stoop, afraid to be where there would be no people to hide in. A memory came rushing back to her, so sharp that she felt a little overwhelmed by it. Wrapping her arms around herself as if she felt a chill, Juliet stared down at her feet. The sight, the smell, the voices, the faces invaded her mind….

* * *

2004, Hong Kong

_They were all lined up in a row, seated on chairs with their hands tied behind their backs. Six young faces, breathing heavily with soaked faces. In front of there were six bucket of waters, behind them were six men in black garb. A hand grabbed Sasa by the back of the neck, squeezing her until she cried in pain._

_ "Tell me what I want to know…" He spat into her ear maliciously. Sasa stayed silent at his demands. Anger by no response, he pushed her head into the water._

_ Sasa didn't know how much she could take of this, she didn't want to cry but the tears came freely. Her legs were flaying out underneath her, the water filled her lungs and went through her nose. Without warning, he brought her back up for air, only to dunk her again. He threatened her, he tortured her, and he bruised her. The six or seventh time he brought her up for air, two boy next to her where shouting out their secrets._

_ "Brown teddy bears! Brown Teddy bears!" One shouted, sputtering water everywhere. The second boy shouted something that Sasa didn't quite hear._

_ "Take them out, they are done." One of the men said to the others, the two boys were dragged out._

_ It didn't take long before Sasa give in too, it surprise her that she lasted so long. The only one left was Shin. It wasn't a surprise; Shin was always the best at what he did. He received the toughest training not just because of his skills but because he was such a smart ass that he always ticked off the trainers. The man dunking her dragged Sasa out of the room and threw her on the cold floor after she gave up her secret word. She looked around dazed and saw the other eight kids recovering in their own corner._

_ "Congratulation." A gruff walked man walked in, he stared at all the pitiful faces. "You have all failed the mission, none of you with the exception of the smartass passed the interrogation training. As of this moment, you are all fucking worthless. None of you manage to even last an hour. For your punishments, everyone will skip lunch." _

_There would have been a collective sigh and groan from the kids. But no one wanted to risk more privileges being taken away._

"_You are all dismissed, hit the gym." The man said to them spinning around to leave._

_Everyone got up and helped the person closes to them on their feet. Another girl came and pulled Sasa off of her feet. "You okay?"_

"_Yeah, but Shin is still in there." Sasa looked to the door. "You think he will last any longer."_

"_You know how Shin is, he's tough." She smiled at Sasa. Sasa leaned on her for support. "Don't worry Sasa, let's go." _

_They all headed toward the gym, Sasa glance back the door with a concern expression on her face. They were always watched during their training, it was to keep them focus and not lack off. Sasa and Mei grouped together to stretch before jogging around the gym like the others. Later Fang and Xia would join them; Fang was Sasa's cousin and Shin older sister. Xia was the fourth girl in the group of ten. She didn't stand out as much as the rest but she had a talent for eavesdropping and pickpocketing. Fang was every bit as talented as Shin if not more at some things. Sasa admired Fang; everyone did because she possessed this air about her. She could lead, she could command respect from others easily._

"_Come on guys, let's not dally." She said to the two girls, the three begin go run around the gym with the others._

_ Since the kids were not given any lunch, most of them congregated in the lounge or went to walk out on the patio. Sasa lived in a gated facility near the bustling ports of Hong Kong, she and her brothers and sisters were Assassins in training for the order. On the outside, the facility seemed like any normal orphanage._

_ The kids were all sitting on the ground or on the grey old couch watching a movie on a projector. These were the few moments they were allowed to relax and enjoy themselves. Sasa sneaked away from the movie after ten minutes, she had seen it for the second time already. She made her way down the halls and to the basement where the library was. Creeping into the library, Sasa glance around cautiously. In the corner, she saw a young man sleeping soundly. Smiling Sasa tip toed over to him when he suddenly jumped up and screamed at her._

_ "Ahhhh!" Sasa shriek in fear, she dropped to the ground with her hands over her head._

_ "HAHAHHAHA!" the young man fell back on his chair laughing hysterically. "Good lord…for an Assassin in training, you sure scare easily."_

_ "That was really mean Ben." Sasa pouted, looking at him._

_ "Sorry but you were sneaking up on me." Ben helped her up, still chuckling." So how are you kid."_

_ Sasa got up sheepishly; she brushed herself off and smiled. Ben was an Assassin from the cells in Canada. He was a few years older than her and staying at their facility while he did some business in Hong Kong_

"_I'm sorry; I didn't want to wake you." Sasa went over to him with a light hug. "How was Thailand?"_

"_Beautiful." He reached in his pocket and fished out something. "I thought of you when I saw this."_

"_It's a wooden elephant." Sasa said to him as he put it in her palm._

"_Yep, I found it in a shop and thought of you." Ben smiled, running his hair through his blond locks._

"_Thank you…it is very kind of you." Sasa responded to him graciously." Tell me about your trip."_

_Ben fascinated Sasa the moment he came to their facility, not only did he teach the students about computer but he also taught them French and English. Sasa enjoyed learning from him about the outside world._

"_Your English has gotten better Sasa but I think you are getting too good. You are starting to sound Canadian." Ben chuckled. _

_Sasa sat down on one of the table, playing with the little elephant in her hand. "Do you think that I will ever get to see the world?"_

_Ben went over to his computer; reaching out his hand he closed it. "Of course you will, one day you will leave this place and you will get to see it all."_

"_Yeah but I won't get to enjoy it." Sasa said quietly to him. "Maybe I will leave this place…not the Order though…I can never truly be free of the Order."_

"_You may think that the Order is terrible and that life is miserable for you right now. But it isn't." Ben spoke to her with a serious tone. "The training is not to abuse and tear you down but to ready you for what is out there."_

"_And what is out there?" Sasa closed her palm around the elephant tightly. "The Templar? How am I sure that any of this is even real?"_

"_There are worst things out there than in here." Ben sigh, he came over to her and put his hand on her hand. "The Templars are real and you don't want to deal with them."_

_At that moment, a man interrupted the two of them. He glared at the two of them coldly; his grey eyes fell on Sasa. "What are you doing in here?"_

"_I-I…I was leaving...I just needed a book." Sasa stammered to the man, she got up quickly. Jean was the unofficial second in command of the compound, the son of a French mother and a Chinese Assassin. His trainings were often brutal. "Good bye Ben…" she grabbed the first book she saw._

"_Later kid." He said to her with a kind smile. "Come back and see me."_

_Keeping her eyes down, Sasa sauntered out of the room quickly with the book in hand. At the door, she glanced back only to catch Jean's eyes. Scared she started to run for no reason back to the lounge. If there were ever anyone that Sasa did not want to go up against, it was Jean Tsai. She didn't think anyone else wanted to be on the receiving end of his wrath._

"_Hey." Xia grabbed Sasa by the hand when she got back to the lounge. "Hurry up and get dress. We are going out to play in the city."_

"_Is Shin back?" She asked Xia._

"_Yeah, he is getting ready with the rest." Xia answered her. "He actually made it for an hour two hours." She stared down at Sasa's hand. "What that?" _

_Sasa sigh in relief, she followed Xia out of the room, heading for the locker room._

"_Huh?" Sasa stared at the book in her hand. "Just a book… Romeo and Juliet"_

* * *

Desmond wipe a glass, he wondered what Juliet was doing at the moment. Probably lost in a library or jumping on fences. Since she walked into his life, things have been different. He put the glass down and picked up another one to work on. Juliet brought light into his life, she chased away the loneliness. Even though he had good friends, it was still lonely because they could never really understand him or his past. Juliet never really asked him anything personal unless he told her about it. He never asked her anything she didn't want to talk about either. They both understood that the other had secrets, secrets that neither wanted to discuss. Desmond never used anything but cash when paying, Juliet hated pictures, and she ran every time anyone pointed or carried a camera near her. The two did not use any social media; they didn't even have a Facebook. Secrets were something that bonded their relationship together, ironically.

"So what are you doing tonight?" Stella the new waitress leaned on the counter, showing him her breast blatantly. Desmond stared at them, he couldn't ignore them. Stella seemed like the type of girl that could get down and dirty. He might have welcomed her advances but he made a point to avoid relationship at work after what happened last time and he had Juliet.

"Just going home to my girlfriend." Desmond said to her. "Juliet, you meet her once."

"Yeah, I remember her. She is a really sweet girl." Stella leaned over the counter, her smile becoming suggested.

"Yeah…she is a really great girl." Desmond cleared his throat, moving away a little.

The front door opened, Juliet walked into the bar, her eyes searched around until she saw him. Desmond stopped cleaning the glasses; Juliet never really came to see him at work. He counted two times since they meet that she came to his work place. She smiled wanly at him, motioning him to come to her.

"Excuse me." He said to Stella without glancing at her. "Hey, I am taking my break boss." He said to the manager, who nodded.

"Hey…" Juliet tried to keep a calm smile. She wanted to see him; she didn't realize how important he had become to her. "Are you busy?"

"No, I'm on my break. Is something wrong?" Desmond asked her, he saw something in her eyes.

"Come with me." She took him by the hand and led him out back. Juliet kissed him unexpectedly. They stayed with their lips together for a moment before she pulled away.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her, feeling the urgency in her kiss.

"No…" She lied to him. "I just miss you…Desmond." Juliet cupped his face, meaning every word. "I love you…even if you don't say back."

For once, Desmond lost his gruff exterior. His face actually softened up a little. He slung his arm around her, bringing her in closer to his chest. "I already know that. How can you not be in love with me? How can you resist this hot body? I knew there was a reason why you were all over me in bed."

Frowning, Juliet pinched him. "It's not your hot body, it's because you are a blanket hog, you jack ass."

Desmond put his hand on the back of her head affectionately. "I love you back and all the little nightmares that are apart of you."

Juliet smiled. "Thank you…" It made her happy to hear him say those words yet she the fear still persisted in her heart. Something was going to happened; she felt it in her bones…something bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Juliet rolled a dart in her fingers, her eyes trained on the red dot in the middle of the board. Closing her eyes, she flicked her wrist, hitting the target right on the spot. There were small indentions around the board; she often played terribly with Desmond on purpose. She would focus really hard just to hit anywhere but on the board. A smile appeared on Juliet's lips; Desmond was such an annoying gloater. Juliet got up from the bed, she went into the kitchen when she found Desmond's hoodie on one of the bar stool.

"The idiot must have forgotten his jacket." Sighing, Juliet held the jacket in her arms, burying her face in it. She loved his scent, the smell calmed her greatly during the time she would doubt herself. It was odd but sometime when Desmond put on the hoodie; he would remind her of an Assassin. "Yeah right, Desmond an Assassin."

The idea of Desmond being an Assassin made her laugh out loud. She once convinced him to go free running with her. The first ten minutes, Desmond could barely keep up with her. He lagged so far behind; she had to slow down for him to catch up. Not only that but he moved like a bear not even a normal bear but a retarded one.

Desmond came home and found Juliet curled up on their bed in his hoodie. He grin at the sight, stripping down to his boxer, he climbed into bed with her. Juliet instantly barrow into his arms as if she belonged there without waking up. She seemed trouble when she came to see him a while ago, he wondered if something happened to her. His lips brush the top of her head; she actually said she loved him. It made him happy; he didn't think she would ever say it. He never really felt like he had all of her, she was so close yet so far away from him. He wondered if she felt the same way he did. Desmond couldn't tell her about his past, he didn't know how to start that conversation; how to make her understand or tell her without her thinking that he was crazy. Desmond pulled up the bottom of his hoodie, he groaned when he saw that she wore her no-sex-underwear. Grey granny panties that would be unsexy on anyone else but her.

Juliet snuggled up closer to him, Desmond raised his eye brow. Maybe she was trying to give him a signal that he could precede farther. Desmond put his hand on her butt, he received a sharp slap. Access denied; Desmond's hand retreated back to his side.

"No tonight babe, I am tired." She mumbled to him, backing up into him. "Let's just snuggle."

Desmond clinched his hands in disappointment. First she said she loved him, now she was denying him. Sometimes he just couldn't understand her or women in general.

"No sex at all…not even a little." Desmond spoke in a dejected voice. He flopped onto his back. She could be such a cock tease at time.

"Hey…I'm cold." Juliet whined, she sat up and stared at him through heavy lids. She climbed onto of Desmond before he could response. "Okay, five minutes but that's all."

Juliet loved his warmth, the heat of his body, the way he breathes. These shorts moments with him were some of the best moments in her life. She let his hand fall into hers, fingers entwining together. Paradise was a place on earth with Desmond, this peacefulness, this love was better than she ever knew it could possibly be. If she could have any wish, it would be to stay with Desmond for as long as she could. In these seconds, Juliet was glad to have known darkness, loneliness and grief. Without these misfortunes, she would never be able to understand how good love, happiness and life could be.

* * *

Maybe she imagined what she saw...maybe she saw nothing at all. Juliet put on her kicks, readying herself for the day. She cut through the park to get to work, nothing happened. Nothing at all happened to her the next day either or that day after that. On a busy street, watching for the walk signal, she saw him in a crowd on the opposite side of the street. He didn't move nor did he disappear after she did a double take. The day came like she always feared it would, her past came knocking at her door. Should she run? Hide? Would it even matter?

The light signal for her to walk across the street, Juliet hesitated for a long moment. He waited for her to cross, anticipating her movements. His eyes commanded her to come to him, they demanded her obedience. Juliet took a step forward but her legs refused to move any farther. Her eyes tore away from him; she couldn't stand his eyes. She ran like a coward, unable to face him. Juliet pulled her hood over her head, blending in with the crowd, something that she mastered as a child. Maybe she was being paranoid or thinking too much, she didn't know but she felt eyes on her. Occasionally she would spot other hooded figures in the crowd, surrounding her. Juliet knew that going back home was out of the option, it would lead them to Desmond. Above all things, Desmond needed to be kept out of her old life and problems.

* * *

2006, Hong Kong

_ "Who is she?" Ben quickly snapped his computer shut at the sound of an intruder's voice. A girl stood behind him, her pretty dark locks were pulled back with a red ribbon. She smiled a familiar smile that he knew very well. _

_ "Sasa? Is that you?" He spoke the girl's name, she giggled at him. _

_ "It's been so long Ben." Sasa threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly._

_ "You've grown up a little and your hair is long now." He said to her, hugging her back with affection._

_ "Yeah…" Sasa patted her hair with a smile. "I am allowed to grow my hair now."_

_ Ben sat back in his chair to observe Sasa for a moment; she seemed to have blossomed into a young lady. He always thought she would stay the curious little kid forever with the buzz cut and cute little sad smile._

_ "It looks good, let me see it fully." He asked her, Sasa took the ribbon off. Her hair tumbled down, stopping just a little below her shoulders. "It suits you."_

_ "Anything is better than that terrible buzz cut." Sasa laughed. She was glad to see Ben again; he had been her connection to the outside world. Grabbing a seat, she made him tell her about his adventures on the outside._

_ Ben enjoyed talking to Sasa; she was the little sister he never had. She looked up to him and listened to him. Being an Assassin wasn't the best profession in the world, always keeping people at a distance can be lonesome at time. It made him feel better to have someone who understood his struggles or knew about his true side. He liked Sasa's naïve innocence; she was raw and untouched by the ugliness of being an Assassin, in spite of her rigorous training. Ben knew that one day she would lose her innocence, those bright eyes would turn cold soon enough. A part of him wanted to take her away before it happened but he himself couldn't leave the Order, he could not break his vow._

_ "So who is the girl? Is she your girlfriend?" Sasa asked Ben._

_ Ben didn't respond for a moment, he open up his computer again. "She was my…girlfriend or something of that nature…but you know…I couldn't really keep a good relationship, especially in this field of work."_

_ Sasa gaze down at her feet, she wished she never asked him in the first place. "Sorry I said anything."_

_ "No, it quit alright." Ben chuckled, he click on a file in his computer screen. "There are three rules to living a nomadic Assassin's life; one is to never fall in love." He patted her on the head. "Two is to never stay anywhere too long and three is avoiding number one at all cost. Never fall in love with someone you could lose."_

_ Falling in love with someone…the whole concept was foreign to Sasa. She loved her family and brothers and sisters in the compound but she never experience what falling in love would be like with someone._

_ "I have some pictures of New York from my last visit, do you want to see?" He pulled up the files for her._

_ "Yes, I would love to see them." Sasa said to him excitedly. "New York sounds amazing."_

…_._

* * *

_ Sasa changed into her a shirt and a pair of tattered shorts, across the room, Xia slept soundly on her cot. No sooner after she put her head down on her pillow, she heard the emergency alarm go off. Suddenly the door swung opened, Fang came bursting into the room._

_ "Get up! Get up you two!" Fang yelled at them. "Dress quickly, we have a situation. Go to the gym now."_

_ The two girls scramble out of bed, both of them grabbed their pants and shoes. Dressing they both stagger out of their room toward the gym. Everyone was already dress and standing around. A hush fell over the room when Jean came marching in quickly._

_ "We have no time, there have been some intruders. Your seniors have all already been dispatch but you all will be sent out also." He spoke to them sternly, all jaws dropped." There are four in all; your objective is to help your seniors terminate them all." Sasa tensed up at this, she never killed anyone before. She looked around at the nervous expressions on everyone's faces. "This will not be a practice; there is no second chance or retake. It will be treated as a real mission for all of you. Do not fail. Go!" No one budge for the first few second, anger flashed in Jean's eyes. "I said get your asses out of here."_

_ Everyone filed out of the room, Jean pointed at Shin, Fang and Sasa, much to her surprise. "You three are with me." Fang and Shin followed him eagerly while Sasa lagged a little behind._

_ They were all given ear pieces as they went out of the entrance by Ben; he talked to Jean rapidly, saying something that Sasa didn't quit catch._

_ "Good luck and be careful." Ben handed Sasa her head piece. She nodded to him without saying anything._

_ Putting it on, they began their pursuit. Sasa rushed through the roof tops, her legs were trembling a little. Her insides felt as if they were about to burst open. She watched Fang and Shin, they seemed so calm and in control of the situation. Suddenly Jean raise his hand for the trio to stop, the head piece came on. The person on the next line told them that two had been caught and killed on the spot but there were still two nearby._

_ "We are splitting up, Shin and Fang." Jean looked to the two of them. "You two go left; eliminate the intruder on the spot. Ting will direct you two to where he is at." Sasa's whole body died when he fixed her with his eyes. "Sasa, you are with me. Move out."_

_ Shin and Fang gave her encouraging looks, Sasa wield her legs to keep going. She bounded after Jean, her mind rack with anxiety. She couldn't understand why he choose Shin and Fang but why did he choose her to be on his team._

_ "Stay close and do not fall behind." Jean called back to her._

_ "Okay." Sasa replied to him quietly. "I will."_

_ Jean landed on the rooftop of a department store, Sasa touch down next to him. They both stared down below them at the crowded streets. There were people, cars and loud noises below. Jean tap Sasa's shoulder, he indicated to a man in a red hood. Sasa noticed a distinctive dark mark on his back._

_ "We split up when we get down there, follow him and don't let him get away. He has vital information that can cost us greatly." Jean said to Sasa. "Do you understand?"_

_ Nervously, she nodded her head to him. Sasa put her hands on the ledge, her eyes held the intruder for a moment._

_ "Subdue him if you can but if you have to kill him before I get there, kill him. Don't hold back, no mercy." Jean told her before they separated. "He won't show you any either."_

_ Sasa made her way down to the streets, she kept a low profile. Her eyes searched for the man among the sea of people. Her micro phone cut on._

_ "He's near the food stand ahead of you." Sasa looked up and spotted him. "Follow him and don't lose sight of him."_

_ Heart pumping, Sasa thought she could vomit on the side of the street. She shadowed the man slowly, fading in with the crowd. Hiding in the crowd was always something she was good at because of her smallness. Yet somehow she felt as if she was ten feet tall and wide. Sasa followed the man, silently stalking him and waiting for any more instruction from Jean. The man cut through ocean of people, went through busy streets, and twisted through venders._

_ "He is turning into the alleyway; don't let him out of your sight. I am going to cut him off on the other side." Sasa moved in on the man, he quickly disappeared into the darkness, without hesitation, she went in after him._

_ She walked hesitantly, keeping in the shadows. She saw him ahead of her, every time he twisted around, she would duck into a corners or trash cans. Suddenly he vanished, Sasa blinked in confusion. Sweat began to pour down her temples, she might have screwed up. Getting up, she stared at the spot where he went missing. Knowing that it might be a trap to lure her out, Sasa stayed in her hiding spot. Glancing back over her shoulder, she made sure he somehow wasn't behind her. Turning back around, she found herself facing him._

_ "Boo!" The man punched her in the gut, reacting in response to his attack. She tightened her stomach to lighten the blow. The ear piece fell out of her ear; the man crushed it with his foot._

_ Sasa did not receive the full blow but the hit did hurt. She could hardly breathe as she staggered backward. Her feet legs became weak, steadying herself, she lunged at him. Surprising the man, Sasa punched him. The man stumbled back but stopped himself from falling._

_ "You are a strong little thing." The man said to her with a grin. "They let them out young here."_

_ Sasa threw him a fierce look, determine not to back down, she stood her ground, that and she was too scared to run._

_ "Get out of my way or I will kill you." He threatened her menacingly._

_ "I won't let you get away." Sasa got into her battle stance, her mission was to seek and destroy._

_ "You really want to do this?" He came at her with the intention of killing her._

_ It wasn't that she was super human or that she was genetically alter as a child by scientist. In a normal fight between a man and a woman, her chances of winning were slim. Her opponent was six feet tall and possible two hundred pounds. Sasa on the other hand was the opposite of him; her frame was thin and trimmed. The man could easily beat her to death with his bare hands. Sasa knew where to hit him, where to strike for the most damage, something that her teachers emphasize to her during her training. Not only that but they focus greatly on her speed and agility. _

_The pain ran through her arms as she blocked his strike, she jumped back as he lung at her again. Ducking, she smash his chin with her fist, his head topple back. Sasa attack him head on without stopping, she knew that if she gave him the upper hand, he would kill her. _

_ On the roof top, Jean watched the two fought below. He decided to use this as a lesson and a test for Sasa. He knew that there was no way for the man to escape, the reinforcement had already arrived and had the place on lock down. Fang, Shin and some of the seniors arrived on the scene._

_ "Where is Sasa?" Shin asked with concern to Jean._

_ "She is down below." Jean said to Shin, his tone emotionless._

_ Shin went to look down over the ledge, he saw Sasa fighting for her life. He prepared to go help her when Jean stopped him._

_ "No, you will stay where you are." Jean commanded him coldly. "She will fight him alone."_

_ "What?" Shine stared at him in disbelief. "You can't leave her down there by herself."_

_ "I said stand down." Jean raised one hand half way up. Two men grabbed Shin from behind._

_ "Let him go!" Fang cried but they grabbed her too. "We can't leave her down there by herself."_

_ Jean turned to look at the two of them coldly. He walked in front of Shin slowly; Fang bit her lips in fear. "Hold him up properly."_

_ Without warning, he punched Shin in the gut. Eyes widening in shock, Shin fell to the ground in pain. Fang stood frozen in shock._

_ "You are all too old to be shelter from the reality of what you must do and what it means to be an Assassin. It is about time I show you what it's really like." Jean grabbed Shin by the hair. "You will one day have to experience battle, you will have to kill or be killed. You and Fang will be great Assassins one day. I have no doubt of it."_

_ "Sas…Sasa…" Shin cough, his ribs were broken. "She will be killed."_

_ "Sasa on the other hand is weak, she is too soft and will not survive if she continues the way that she is." Jean rubbed his knuckles. "She must learn to be strong or she will parish."_

_ "You can't do this…you can't do this to her." Fang pleaded to him. "Please don't do this to her, she isn't ready."_

_ "If you really want to help her, show me how strong you two are." Jean said mainly to Shin. "Show me that you can break free and save your comrade."_

_Shin kicked one of the men behind him, sending the man flying on to his back. With his free hand, he socked the other man holding him. Two more men flew at him but he quickly subdued them. Shin always wanted to fight Jean, now he had the opportunity to test his strength against him. Foolishly, Shin rushed the man without any plan or thought. All that he knew was that he couldn't waste any more time, Sasa needed him. He hit the ground hard when Jean cracked his fist into Shin's stomach. Shin actually saw bright lights and stars, falling down to the ground; he found that he couldn't move his body._

_ Grabbing her arm, he slammed her against a wall. Sasa bit back the pain; bouncing onto her legs, she threw her hands together and struck him with them. Taking a bottle, she struck him in the face with it. Glass shattered everywhere. Jumping, she kicked his face, making his head bob back._

_ "You little bitch!" Sasa maneuver around him, she picked up a shard of glass. She spun and kicked him but he caught her leg._

"_I gotcha now." He snarled at her. She cut his face with the glass. Even though it wasn't her, the blade going into his skin made her own skin tangle._

_ The man caught her by the throat, her wind pipes were closed up, and she couldn't breathe. His hand crushed her throat making her head dizzy, the world seem to spin around her. Sasa struggle in vain to break free, she was going to die. It terrified her; she did not want to die yet._

_ "I really under estimate you kid, you scratch me up a little." He said to her. "Nothing against you kitty cat but I am going to have to kill you before you become a tigress. You should be happy; at least I put you out of your miserly."_

_ Jean was disappointed, he signaled for the sniper to take the man down. Sasa used her last resort; she kicked a little blade out of her shoe. The man didn't realize it until the blade went into his temple. Their eyes were locked for those last moment; Sasa found that her vision was beginning to fade. All of a sudden, she saw feet, there were voices floating over her. Sasa closed her eyes as the voice faded away._

_/_

* * *

_ There were voices talking to each other, a man and a woman. Sasa was too tired to open her eyes._

_ "So she actually defeated him." Said the woman to the man._

_ "Yes, it was not without a struggle." The man replied to the woman._

_ "So there is some hope after all for her." Sasa winced a little when she heard the woman talk again. "She is still too weak; she will have to be pushed more."_

_ Sasa drifted in and out of the conversation, uncertain if what she heard was a dream or real._

_ "Did you retrieve the flash drive back from them?" The woman asked the man._

_ "Yes we did madam; we found everything to be intact." The man responded to the woman solemnly. "Thanks to Ben's complicated code, they weren't able to decode the files yet."_

_ "I see; what particular files were they after?" She asked him another question._

_ "They were after the files about the background and histories of everyone in the compound." The man said to her. "There were five men in all, we caught one but he bit off his tongue during the interrogation. We are still uncertain to why they would want those particular files on everyone."_

_ "Find out, I have a bad feeling about this. The Templars are up top something." The woman spoke to him sharply. _

_/_

* * *

_ Sasa woke up later with a huge head ache, her whole body ache from head to toe. She found it hard to breathe, probably because she had two broken ribs. Sitting up in bed, she found Shin in the bed next to her, staring at the wall._

_ "Hey…" She mumbled to him, throat feeling dry._

_ "You're awake." Shin got off of his bed and came over to her. "Are you okay?"_

_ "Yeah…I think so." Sasa replied to him with hesitation. She could barely move from the pain circulating though her body. "Are you okay?"_

_ "Yeah, never better." Shin gave her that grin that she knew he gave when he wasn't okay._

_ Sasa looked away from him suddenly, she remember the fight. Her insides were sick; she got up abruptly and ran to the bathroom. Not even bothering to push her hair back, she threw up in the toilet. So she killed someone…she killed someone… and nearly died._

_ "Sasa…" Shin came to sit beside her; he put his hand on her back._

_Not only did she kill a man but she was weak. She nearly died back there; she killed him by luck and nothing else. She had no business being an Assassin, they were right, she was weak. How can she protect others if she can't even protect herself?_

_ "Teach me to be strong like you." She said to Shin after a moment. The tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Teach me not to be afraid anymore."_

_ "I am not as strong as you think I am." Shin put his arms around her. Arrogantly, he thought he was unstoppable and could do anything he put his mind to. He couldn't even come to Sasa's rescue because he wasn't able to defeat Jean. What if they were in a battle and Sasa or someone else had really needed him, he would have not been able to save them in time. It was no secret that he had been single out for leadership, no one said it but everyone knew. He didn't want to fail or let anyone down. "Back there…I couldn't even come to help you…I am not strong at all."_

_ Sasa started to cry softly, Shin press her up against his chest to comfort her. "I want to be stronger…I never want to be helpless like that again." She sobbed into his chest. "I have to get stronger."_

_ "You will." Shin spoke to her, he patted her head. "We both will together."_

* * *

Juliet sat on top of the church where she first stayed when she arrived in New York. Desmond had been blowing up her phone with text messages and missed calls but she didn't answer any of them. There were also calls periodically from an unknown number that Juliet dreaded picking up. She knew she should answer the calls; Desmond was probably worried that she wasn't home yet. Juliet pulled her legs up to her chest; running would be useless now that they found her. And what about Desmond? What would she do about him?

Ben's words came back to haunt her, she should have never said she loved him. It made matters a little more complicated now. Being with him made her life less stressful and violent. He took away the loneliness that she would often experience since leaving the Order. Desmond wasn't like the people she grew up with; he was just an average Joe, a mildly (very) attractive one but an average Joe none the less. She regretted falling in love with him, she regretted getting attach to him, she regretted coming into his life and possible ruining it now.

Sasa picked up her phone; she returned the call of one of the number. "I am listening, who is this?"


End file.
